Fabrication, phase formation and microstructure of Ni<inf>4</inf>Nb<inf>2</inf>O<inf>9</inf> ceramics fabricated by using the two-stage sintering technique

Abstract

© 2016, The Korean Physical Society. The potential utilization of two-stage sintering for the production of very dense and pure nickel diniobate (Ni4Nb2O9) ceramics with low firing temperature was demonstrated. The effects of the designed sintering conditions on the phase formation, densification and microstructure of the ceramics were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Archimedes method and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The minor phase of columbite NiNb2O6 tended to form together with the desired Ni4Nb2O9 phase, depending on the sintering conditions. Optimization of the sintering conditions may lead to a single-phase Ni4Nb2O9 ceramics with an orthorhombic structure. The ceramics doubly sintered at 950/1250 ◦C for 4 h exhibited a maximum density of ~92%. Microstructures with denser angular grain-packing were generally found in the sintered Ni4Nb2O9 ceramics. However, the grains were irregular in shape when the samples were sintered at 1050/1250 ◦C. Two-stage sintering was also found to enhance the ferroelectric behavior of the Ni4Nb2O9 ceramic.